Alejandro Escovedo

Alejandro Escovedo was born on January 10, 1951, in San Antonio, Texas. He comes from a family with a strong musical background, including brothers Coke Escovedo and Pete Escovedo, and niece Sheila E. His early career began in San Francisco with the punk rock group The Nuns in the late 1970s. After moving to New York in 1978, he joined the Judy Nylon band. He later relocated to Austin, Texas, where he embraced roots rock and alternative country with bands like Rank and File and True Believers. This period marked a significant shift in his musical style, laying the groundwork for his solo career. In 1998, No Depression magazine recognized him as their Artist of the Decade for his contributions to music.

Escovedo launched his solo career with the album “Gravity” in 1992, followed by “Thirteen Years” in 1994. He collaborated with Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown in 1997, contributing vocals to songs on their album “Strangers Almanac.” In 1999, he featured on “More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album,” performing a rendition of “Diana.” His album “Boxing Mirror,” released in 2006, was largely promoted with the Alejandro Escovedo String Quintet, including a performance at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. In 2008, he released “Real Animal,” produced by Tony Visconti and co-written with Chuck Prophet. In 2010, “Street Songs of Love,” also produced by Visconti, was released, with The New York Times praising it as a radio-ready collection of love songs. Escovedo continued to release albums such as “Big Station” (2012) and “Burn Something Beautiful” (2016), the latter recorded with members of The Minus Five.

In 2003, Escovedo faced a health crisis after collapsing onstage due to Hepatitis C. Without health insurance, his fellow musicians organized benefit concerts and released the tribute album “Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo” to support his medical expenses. After successful treatment, he was cured of Hepatitis C in 2015. He appeared in the 2014 “Veronica Mars” movie and co-produced and co-hosted the SXSW Tribute to Lou Reed. His 2018 album “The Crossing” was re-recorded in Spanish as “La Cruzada” in 2019. Escovedo has received several accolades, including the AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing in 2006, the Townes Van Zandt Songwriting Award in 2019, the A2IM Libera Awards Independent Icon in 2020, and induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.